Instructions for the Diaper Tricycle

A diaper tricycle is a creative alternative to a diaper cake, which can be given to a mother-to-be or first used as a baby shower centerpiece. The diaper tricycle is a little bit more complex but can easily be made by novice diaper-cake makers with just a little bit of practice before the baby shower. When transporting the gift to the shower, be sure to wrap it in tulle netting or cellophane wrap to keep it from shifting.

Things You'll Need

60 to 70 Newborn or Size 1 Diapers

3 Paper Towel Tubes

3 Elastic Bands

3-Inch-Wide Ribbon

Cake Pan

Receiving Blanket

Large Flannel Receiving Blanket

Baby Socks

Medium-Sized Stuffed Animal

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Place a handful of diapers into an 8-inch round cake pan and press it firmly against one side. Put a round placeholder, such as a paper towel tube or baby bottle, into the center of the pan. Tightly fill the cake pan full of diapers around the placeholder. Wrap an elastic band around the diapers to hold the circle shape of the tier. Make two more diaper cakes in the same way.

Remove the diaper cakes from the pans and gently remove the placeholders.

Insert a long length of 3-inch-wide ribbon through the empty hole in the middle of one of the cakes. This will be the front tire for the tricycle. Stand the cake upright like a wheel on a cake tray and pull the end of the ribbon until there is an even amount of ribbon on each side of the tire.

Stand the remaining to cakes upright like wheels and position them behind the front tire, spaced evenly apart to make the rear tires of the tricycle. Insert the piece of ribbon coming out of the right side of the front tire through the right rear tire. Repeat this step for the left tire. Space the rear wheels approximately 6 inches apart and tie the ribbon in a bow in between the tires.

Fold a receiving blanket in half. Fold it in half the opposite way and then fold it one last time. Wrap up the receiving blanket tightly like a jellyroll. Insert one end into the hole in the left rear tire and one end into the hole in the right rear tire. The rolled receiving blanket helps to keep the tires positioned properly.

Roll up a large flannel receiving blanket to make a long jellyroll-type shape. Insert the roll through the front tire, pinch the right and left sides of the rolled blanket together above the tire, and tie the pinched sections in place with a piece of 3-inch-wide ribbon. This leaves a length of rolled blanket on each side of the front tire to become the handlebars. Push gently to insert a baby bottle in between the top of the front tire and the ribbon that tied the rolled blanket together.

Cover each end of the rolled blanket handlebars with a baby sock to make the handles. Place a medium-size stuffed animal behind the handlebars to look like it is riding the tricycle.